Hiraeth
by EvanescentBennu
Summary: What if Peeta's name had been drawn for the 3rd Quarter Quell and Haymitch had volunteered? Well, things certainly would've turned out differently, wouldn't they?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hey, guys! This is my first fanfiction that I've posted up here. I thought this was a really fun idea to play around with and I wanted to write it. I hope ya'll enjoy

 **Disclaimer:** No copyright infringement intended. I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 1**

"I volunteer." Haymitch's voice rang out clearly.

And that was it.

Relief flooded through every fiber of my being. We saved _him,_ and that was the goal from the beginning, right?

"No!" Peeta exclaimed indignantly, eyeing Haymitch with betrayal frosted over his innocent eyes. Haymitch, on the other hand, looked resolute, sure, like a man who has made peace with the probability of his imminent death.

"You can't do that." Peeta pleaded, grabbing Haymitch's arm. But the older man shook him off with a wry chuckle.

"You can't stop me." And Peeta knew that he was right.

Haymitch stepped up as Effie announced us District 12's tributes for the 75th Hunger Games. Nobody clapped, in fact, the silence was heavy around us. Heavy as the crushing hollowness in Effie's voice that she tried meagerly to contain.

But in all the sadness, fear, and even anger around me, I began to make peace with all of it. I couldn't bring myself to regret any of it now. I had all of my goodbyes perfectly planned out, I knew exactly what to say and how to say it to leave things where they needed to be left with those that I loved.

Love.

What a funny thing. The word echoed around my mind as I stared out at the familiar faces I've known all of my life. I felt as though I was looking at them through a thick sheet of glass and that they were distorted, unfamiliar somehow.

I looked over at Peeta staring at me with darkened eyes. He knew that I'd planned it. I knew he was angry. I just hoped that he would be able to forgive me.

A few peacekeepers came forward grabbing both me and Haymitch's arms. I suddenly found myself struggling as they pulled me away, out of sight, into The Justice Building. I knew then that I wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye.

Mom

Gale

Prim

All of their faces swam before my eyes. I saw them as clearer than ever.

"Wait!" I gasped in a voice that sounded small to my own ears.

But the peacekeepers didn't wait, not that I really expected them to.

"Goodbye!" I tried to call out, voice frail and pained as the doors closed behind us and I knew that I would never see them again.

 **Author's Note:** Thank you guys for reading! Any comments/reviews will be greatly appreciated. I'll try to have another chapter up soon! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Here's another chapter for you! It's a little bit angsty, so bring a few tissues. ;) I hope ya'll enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** No copyright infringement intended. I do not own the Hunger Games series or any of the character.

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 2**

All I heard was the faint hum of the train speeding on the tracks towards the Capitol and it just wasn't loud enough to keep away unwelcome thoughts.

Haymitch was sitting in the corner of the room nursing a bottle of liquor as he had been doing ever since we had gotten onto the train.

Peeta, however, was sitting in the chair across from me avoiding my unrelenting stare at all costs. He was watching the world fly by out of the train's window, his eyes dark and red-rimmed. There must've been a couple hours of this before I'd had enough.

"Peeta, you can't just ignore me forever." I stated, trying to keep my tone rational and understanding, soft, but annoyance found a way to creep in as well.

Peeta turned towards me, his arms crossed, and he took a deep, shaky breath. I wasn't used to that look he was giving me, so hurt, so cold. He knew it was my fault that Haymitch volunteered, he knew me too well.

"I was supposed to go in there with you, okay?"

"Peeta, we were trying to keep you safe."

"Well, did you ever think about how I feel?" Peeta stood up, nearly shouting the words.

"Katniss, you go in there and I might lose you forever, I can't stand that. If I were to go in there with you, I could at least have a chance to try to protect you. Now, I'm just… I'm helpless." Peeta crashed back into the seat.

He watched me for a few moments and when it was apparent that I had nothing to say, he stood back up. I almost thought I saw a shimmer of a tear on his cheek in the orange sunlight that was bursting in through the windows, but he began to walk away quickly before I could tell for sure.

"You would've done the same if you could've." I called out, he froze.

"That's different, because you could live without me." Peeta spoke coldly then he left.

His words were biting and they hurt, just like he'd intended them to.

Part of me wanted to chase him, scream, make him see that I was just doing everything I could to protect him. Because I loved him, maybe not in the way that he loved me, maybe not even as much, but surely enough I did.

Another part of me just wanted to curl up and cry.

In the end I just settled on joining Haymitch over in the corner. He swayed noticeably on his seat and a few empty bottles were littered around him. He gave me a small nod and he hiccuped before turning back down to his bottle. I'd never seen him in such rough shape before.

"Do you wish you hadn't volunteered?" I asked him quietly.

At first, I thought he didn't hear me, then he responded in a voice equally as quiet.

"What do you want me to say, Sweetheart?"

I didn't know, maybe just reassurance that we had done the right thing.

I just sighed in response and took the one last unopened bottle from beside him and took a swig from it myself, praying that maybe, just maybe, it'd make me forget.

 **Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for reading! Any reviews/comments will be greatly appreciated! I'll have another chapter up as soon as I can! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hey Guys! Here's another chapter for you, it's a little bit longer than the previous ones. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games series or characters, even though I might want to. :)**

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 3**

Effie woke me up the next morning by yanking open the shutters in my room in the train. The light sent in through the newly open windows shot white hot waves of pain through my head. I suddenly felt even worse for Haymitch.

I groaned.

Effie turned towards me and spoke softly.

"Katniss, dear, it's time to get up." I sat up reluctantly, clutching my head, and pulled my robe on.

"You know, you really shouldn't be drinking." Effie scolded, but it was half-hearted, we both knew it.

Effie led me out to the dining room where Haymitch sat at the mahogany table. There were a whole variety of dishes on a separate serving table, the smell was exquisite, but I couldn't even think about eating when my head was throbbing so badly.

As if reading my mind, Effie spoke.

"Here, drink this. It should help" She handed both me and Haymitch each a silver goblet that held a pink fizzling drink. It smelled faintly of strawberries, maybe a hint of mint and something else a bit sweet, maybe floral. I couldn't quite place it. Nevertheless, it was a very appealing smell. I barely took a sip and the headache and fogginess of my hangover began to fade away.

"Why didn't I know about this before?" Haymitch asked, shooting Effie a pointed look.

"Because then you'd never learn to correct your behavior." Effie said in an appropriately reprimanding tone. In that moment her words seemed almost humorous. I guess there was something about the both of us marching on to our deaths that made everything else seem small.

Haymitch must have thought so as well, for he gave a light chuckle before he finished off his drink. I was glad to see that his spirits were a little bit higher today. It suddenly made me wonder if I could expect the same from Peeta, but his empty seat at the table made my stomach drop.

"Where's Peeta?" I asked, the silence that I received was indicative of the answer I already knew before I asked.

"He… well, he already ate." Effie spoke uncomfortably. I nodded, turning before I could let myself become too emotional. He didn't want to see me, I understood.

After breakfast I was beginning to make my way back to my room. My plan was to close the shutters back up and take a few hours to wallow, maybe sleep a little bit more. I couldn't think of anything better to do anyways.

Everywhere I went in the train I was greeted by faces riddled with sympathy and I couldn't take anymore of it.

It was almost as if he had anticipated it, for I found Haymitch propped against the door to my room, blocking the entrance.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Come with me, Sweetheart. I want to talk to you." He said simply, offering no further explanation.

Since it was clear that I wasn't going to be able to get back into my room, and there was no other place in the train I wanted to go, I followed him. But for some reason, I really didn't want to.

Haymitch led me to his room, I walked into it and he closed the door behind us. Even though we had only been on the train for a short while, the room was already littered with several bottles and the putrid stench of vomit drifted out from the partially open bathroom door. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"Why did you want to see me?" I asked, hoping he'd cut straight to the chase. I didn't have any desire to stay in Haymitch's room longer than I needed to. Luckily, he seemed to feel just about as uncomfortable about it as I did.

"Katniss, I know this isn't… natural for you, but I need you to listen to everything that I say. Don't question it, just do what I tell you."

"What?" I asked, caught off-guard by his request. He pretended not to hear me.

"I need you to go and apologize to Peeta."

"What?" I asked again, feeling more defensive.

Haymitch sighed.

"How do you expect to get any sponsors if you two aren't even talking to each other? Nobody's going to care if you get out of there alive if you have nothing to live for.

For some strange reason that boy is head over heals for you, Sweetheart. So you better be hopelessly prepared-to-die-for-him in love by tomorrow night."

"You have to know that I don't have a chance of making it out of the games alive, Haymitch. So what's the point?"

"You listen to me." He growled, the urgency in his voice was frightening. Haymitch grabbed my arm, his fingernails dug painfully into my skin though I doubted that he noticed. The hangover tonic that Effie gave him barely began to mask the liquor that was apparent on his warm breath.

"Go talk to the boy and make things better. I'm not asking." He released my arm and stepped back. It was clear our talk was over. But I still stood stunned for a moment before I was able to find my way out of the room.

I knew there was something that the man wasn't telling me. I wasn't sure what game Haymitch was playing but I knew that I had no choice but to play along. I just hoped he knew what he was doing.

I stood in the hallway for a few moments, gathering my thoughts. I looked up at Peeta's door just a little ways down the hall. As much as I wanted to just forget about Haymitch's request, I couldn't forget that urgency in his tone. It sent shivers up my spine.

"Fine, you win." I said out loud and I made my way over to Peeta's door. I didn't even bother knocking, I knew he wouldn't answer if I did.

Peeta looked up from the painting he was working on, the shock on his face at seeing me was fleeting. It only took him a second to compose himself.

"Hey." He said simply. He set down his paintbrushes and watched me from across the room.

"Hey." I said back, walking slowly towards him. His paintings were spread all throughout his room, covering the walls. Most were quite obviously inspired by the 74th Hunger Games.

Rue surrounded by the flowers

Cato covered in blood and standing on the Cornucopia

The Tracker Jacker nest split open on the ground

And me

A lot of the pictures were of me. The one that he had been working on when I came in drew my attention. It was a painting of me standing with with my bow, the string pulled back tight preparing to shoot. He caught every detail, my focused expression, my tense stance, and he had painted me surrounded by a white fog that gave me a sort of angelic glow. It made me feel sick. I finally pulled my gaze away from it.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." I said simply.

"I know." Peeta sighed. It was apparent that a lot of the anger he had felt had softened significantly over the night, though it was still tense. Surely nowhere near where Haymitch said we needed to be.

"I miss you." I admitted to him, it wasn't much, but it was a start.

He just gave me a sad smile in return.

"Do you want to see some of my paintings?" Peeta suddenly asked. I nodded tentatively, not really sure that I was up for seeing more memories from the last Hunger Games. Peeta must've known that, for he led me over to the other side of the room to the paintings I had missed when I had just walked in the room.

A loaf of bread

His father laughing

A beautiful orange sunset that perfectly illuminated the lush green grass and the tall trees.  
It was stunning.

"It's like us." I said in awe, I traced my fingers over the patterns on the canvas without ever actually touching it. I imagined every soft brushstroke and that look of deep concentration on his face as he created it...

"Yeah, it is." He replied, a small smile began to tug upwards at the edges of his lips.

Suddenly he looked up and rushed over to the window.

"There it is." Peeta said.

And there it was.

The Capitol.

 **Author's Note: Dun, dun, dun... The Capitol. ;) Again, thank you guys for reading! Any reviews/comments will be appreciated! I hope you enjoyed that one! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! I want to say thanks for all the wonderful comments, you guys are awesome! :D Here's another chapter for you. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I don't own the Hunger Games series.**

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 4**

" _Katniss, look!" Prim called out, laughter in her words. She pointed at a large, blue butterfly that was fluttering just a little out of reach._

" _Oh, it's beautiful, little duck." I said affectionately. I laughed as I saw her chase it languidly down the path._

 _Everything seemed to move in slow motion, the sun cascaded over almost everything, tinting it gold._

 _My eyes were instantly drawn to one small patch of shadows. My stomach lurched. In the shadows stood a man dressed in white, cradling a white rose in his hands. He was laughing._

 _I suddenly realized the butterfly was a trap. Prim hadn't noticed, she was still following it. The butterfly settled on a white rose in the meadow. She began to reach for it._

" _No, Prim, don't!" I screamed, but I was too late. I saw her body collapse to the ground, an arrow protruding from her back._

"Prim!" I screamed, sitting up in my bed, I was panting, body heaving with the effort of every gasping breath. I wiped my sweat slick hands on the bed sheets and I put my head between my knees, hoping that the world would stop spinning.

"Just a dream." I whispered to myself, hoping that the words themselves would bring some kind of relief. But it had been so vivid.

A part of me wanted to go and crawl into Peeta's bed and have him to hold me, comfort me, tell me it was all alright. But I knew that I couldn't do that. Things had still been much too tense between us.

I'd hardly seen him at all the night before, both he and Haymitch had disappeared not long after we got off the train and they only showed up for dinner. So I'd busied myself with watching videos of the other tributes during their Hunger Games. That probably didn't help with the nightmares…

I sighed, dragging myself out of bed. The sun had already settled significantly above the horizon, hinting that it was about time to be starting my day.

I dressed myself in the first shirt and pair of pants I could find in the drawers, knowing that I'd be stripped out of them again soon enough. I made my way out to the dining room of the penthouse.

Haymitch was sitting at the table cradling a silver goblet. I plopped myself down on the seat across from him, greeted by the familiar scent of the hangover tonic.

"Where were you last night?" I asked.

Haymitch just answered with an evasive wave of his hand. I noticed he looked quite tired and more sober than I'd ever seen him.

"Haymitch-"

"Oh, there she is! My girl on fire." It was at the moment that Effie burst into the room. Haymitch turned back to his goblet and plate of food. I didn't know what he was up to, but I swore to myself that I would find out.

Effie made sure that I had a full breakfast and watched as I ate every bite. After that she led me to my prep team.

They worked on polishing me up from my head to my toes. Almost all of the hair on my body was either plucked or waxed. I was scrubbed over with various scented sugar scrubs until all of my skin was pink and felt quite raw. They worked on getting me all ready for Cinna. Like a blank canvas ready for the painter.

Seeing Cinna again was like taking a fresh breath of air after being underwater. He was one of the few people I felt like I could trust. He wasn't as emotional as the prep team, he was strong, sturdy, like a rock. I needed that. He did my makeup, hair, and dressed me in a deceptively simple outfit. When I looked in the mirror, I could barely recognize myself.

I looked older.

Stronger.

Colder.

"It's amazing. Thank you, Cinna." I said, feeling truly grateful. It was just what I needed.

"I think someone wants to talk to you." Cinna said with a smile that reached his eyes lined with gold. He placed a soft kiss on my forehead before he left the room.

"You look beautiful." Peeta spoke quietly. I turned around and saw him standing in the corner of the room.

"Thank you." I whispered in response.

"Peeta, I-"

"Shhh…" He stepped forward and tentatively brushed a stray strand of hair behind my ears. I caught his hand and held it to my cheek.

I didn't want him to leave. I didn't want to go out there and stand before President Snow and the cheering Capitol crowd.

His breath smelled strongly of mint, the closer he leant, the more intoxicating it grew. There was an electric current passing between us and I found myself growing a little bit dizzy. I'd never felt that way, leaning in for a kiss with him before. But that was because every other kiss had been staged, I realized.

We leant closer and closer, his left hand fell to my hip the other still rested on my cheek. The dim light reflected on his soft crystal blue eyes giving them an almost watery appearance.

Everything else began to fade away, President Snow, the Hunger Games, we were only a breath away and then…

Bam!

The door slammed open and Effie walked in

"Katniss, dear, it's time for-... Oh, I'm sorry." Peeta and I stepped back away from each other, the moment was severed even quicker than it had begun.

She cleared her throat awkwardly. Peeta took that as his cue to leave.

He grabbed my hand and placed a soft, formal kiss on it. He met my eyes with an intense gaze as if he was trying to communicate something to me. There was something he wanted to tell me, something he wanted me to understand, but I didn't know what. Peeta sighed, broke his gaze away, and with that he walked out of the room.

"Are you ready?" Effie asked, she walked towards me and straightened out nonexistent wrinkles in my costume. I gave a small shaky nod. What was he trying to tell me? It ate away at me more than it probably should have. I worked on composing myself on the ride down the elevator to the Remake center.

All of the chariots were already lined up but most of the tributes weren't at their chariots, they were busy chatting amongst one another. It made me feel nauseous to think about the fact that in only a few days, they wouldn't even think twice about killing one another. It took me a few minutes to find Haymitch, but when I did, my mouth fell open.

To say the prep team did a good job with Haymitch would be an understatement. The makeup crew must've spent a long time working on him, for he looked like he couldn't have been ten years older than me. His sharp features and angular eyebrows made him look cunning and dangerous.

He wore a costume identical to mine, a fitted black jumpsuit and a heavy, black metal half crown. It seemed like something that would've looked ridiculous on him, but it didn't.

I raised my eyebrow.

"It looks good on you, Haymitch."

"Not looking too bad yourself, Sweetheart." He said with a chuckle and we began to walk to our chariot together.

He waved back at the District 11 tributes he had been talking to when I'd arrived.

"Chaff and Seeder." Haymitch said, noticing my stare. The guy, Chaff, waved at us and blew a kiss in my direction accompanied by a dramatic wink.

"He's… friendly." I muttered, feeling a little bemused. Haymitch laughed.

"Yeah, he's a good guy."

I could tell that Haymitch was quite fond of him, which made the idea of both of them going into the Hunger Games together seem so much worse. My stomach twisted at the thought of them being pitted against each other in the arena.

The music began and the wide doors of the Training Center opened for the first chariot. We climbed up on our chariot, I refused his offer to help me up onto it.

"We should probably turn our costumes on." Haymitch hinted. I pressed the button on the wrist of my costume and he did the same.

We glowed, our costumes gave the illusion that we were burning embers in a fireplace. I mentally thanked Cinna. We would certainly be remembered.

A few of the other tributes had craned their heads around to look at us. There was one of them that openly stared even though he knew I had noticed. Finnick Odair. He just smiled at me and gave me a rather large wink. If I hadn't had all of that makeup on, I probably would've been blushing.

When the chariot started I lost my balance slightly.

Haymitch grabbed my hand to steady me, and I found myself wishing for one selfish moment that it was Peeta standing beside me, and not Haymitch.

He released my hand almost instantly and we stood looking straight ahead as if the crowd was beneath us, just as we had been told to do, which wasn't hard for either of us.

The applause was thunderous. The crowd roared, screamed, and somewhere out there in all that noise I could've sworn I'd heard people chanting my name.

 **Author's Note: Thanks for reading! :D Remember to review and let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hey Guys! I'm posting this chapter a little bit later than I was originally planning to, but it's here now. Yay! :) I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games series or characters, I just like playing with them.**

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 5**

I didn't want to get up for training the next morning. Training just made it all so much more real, not to mention the fact that I was still quite tired from a restless night filled with more nightmares.

"Katniss, come on, it's time to get up!" Haymitch called, pounding at my door. I still had thirty minutes to get down to the training center, so I didn't rush.

"Katniss, get out here, now!" He demanded, slamming his fist even harder on the door.

I sighed and got dressed, taking my sweet time of course.

Haymitch cursed, and stormed down the hallway. I could tell Effie wasn't letting him drink. She'd been trying to wean him off lately. It turned out that the hangover tonic could also get rid of nearly all of the symptoms of withdrawal, except having to face reality.

The door creaked open and Peeta peaked inside, looking a little nervous.

"Did Haymitch send you to get me?"

"Yeah," He said with a chuckle, but there was something else, I could tell.

"What's going on, Peeta?" His eyes darted around to the walls, ceiling…

"I… can't." He said. It was clear. He couldn't talk with all the cameras everywhere, which only made me want to know what he had to say even more.

"I understand." I said. He nodded, stood there for a moment, and then left.

Effie led me and Haymitch to the elevator, but didn't take us all the way down at Haymitch's insistence. When we got there, there were only a few other people in the training center. Some came in much later, others didn't show up at all.

"Remember," Haymitch said seriously. "Make some friends."

I rolled my eyes at the back of his head as he walked away. I was terrible at making friends even when we weren't being thrown in an arena where we all had to kill each other. It almost seemed pointless.

I looked around at the stations and made my way over to the edible bug station. Seeder from District 11 was there and she seemed friendly enough.

I spent the day going through each of the stations that seemed mostly empty and make small talk with the other people at the stations, which was a struggle for me. Though I did really enjoy spending time with Mags, the sweet old lady from district four.

I was making my way over to the fire making station where Beetee and Wiress from District 3 were when Haymitch intercepted me.

"Alright, Sweetheart, you're coming with me." Haymitch growled, he grabbed my arm and the next thing I knew I was being marched over to the rope course training station where Chaff from 11 and Brutus from 2, were.

"What you do in here, the allies you make, could be the difference between life or death and I'm not going to let you screw it up."

"You can make your allies and I'll go it myself. I made it out of the last Hunger Games just fine." I said, ripping my arm out of his grasp. I didn't move, though, his expression was dangerous and sent shivers up my spine.

"This time will be different. These are all experienced killers, Katniss. You aren't going into an arena full of children. Allies are your only chance at even having a shot of making it out of there alive." His tone was urgent, final.

Haymitch brushed a straw colored strand of hair out of his face, turned, and started walking towards the rope course.

With a sigh, I followed him. Haymitch was usually right when it came to the Games, though I would never admit that I thought that to him, of course.

"Ooh, not bad, my friend." Chaff said to Brutus who had finished the rope course. He leapt to the ground landing perfectly.

"You want to have a go?" Brutus asked him. Chaff shook his head, waving his arm that ended in a stump.

"I don't want to lose the other one." Chaff turned to me, a mischievous smile on his face.

"What about you, girl on fire? You want to show us your moves?" There was something about the way he said those words that disturbed me.

I had little desire to go up on the rope course, it had always seemed much too dangerous to me. I was able to climb trees when I had to, but I didn't like dangling from ropes.

"I'll go." Haymitch said, stepping forward. I was grateful, all the attention was now on him.

"Ay, there's a good man!" Chaff laughed and patted his back.

He climbed up on the platform and scaled the ropes that led to the ceiling where there was a large rope net.

I could tell it was something he had done before.

Haymitch swung, moving quickly across the net as if it was just the monkey bars at school. He was good at it, he was even better than Brutus had been.

And then it happened.

The rope that Haymitch grabbed onto gave way slightly and he slipped. He fell, catching his leg on the sharp edge of the training station platform, then he crashed to the ground.

"Haymitch!" I ran over and knelt beside him. He was muttering obscenities under his breath.

"Haymitch! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he groaned, "Sweetheart."

Haymitch worked on standing back up, but it was clear his left leg wasn't up to supporting him. It was then that I saw the red quickly staining the torn leg of his pants.

I slung his arm over my shoulder, ignoring the worried glances, derisive chuckles, and curious stares. It's a good thing I was strong, because Haymitch was heavier than he looked. Chaff also rushed over to help. Still Haymitch did his best to carry his own weight. He winced with every step

I knew the Capitol's medical people wouldn't help him. They only stepped in if someone was injured to the point that they wouldn't be able to survive long enough make it to the games, because they wanted all of tributes in the Games, of course. But otherwise, they viewed it as the weak picking themselves off.

With Chaff's help, I was able to get Haymitch onto the elevator. Then I got him up onto our floor, and settled down on the couch. The distant look on his face scared me.

I propped his leg up on the sofa next to him, tucking a towel underneath it to catch the slow but steady flow of blood.

"Peeta!" I called, my voice must have been frantic enough, for he rushed out to the living room immediately.

"Grab me the steak knife. Kitchen table." I said as I hung a tea kettle, filled with water, on the hanger in the fireplace. As strange as my request must have sounded, Peeta didn't hesitate.

"Thank you." I muttered distractedly. Haymitch eyed me warily as I grabbed the knife but he didn't flinch when I took it and used it to cut away at the left leg of his pants. I knew I could've taken his pants off, but I'd really rather not…

"Guess I'm…" He winced as I felt his leg to assess the damage. "I'm not as young as I used to be."

The cut wasn't bone deep, but deep enough to require a few stitches. The bruising, however, was pretty bad. It didn't seem like his leg was broken though, that was good.

Oh, where was mom and Prim when I needed them?

"I used to be able to-" He started.

"Shh, I know." I said, cutting him off.

The water reached boiling with some herbs I had Peeta find. I poured it into a pan with a cloth and let it cool for a few moments.

I pressed the cloth to his wound to disinfect it, expecting him to wince, jerk away, something. But he didn't. He just lay there looking more tired than anything.

"I'm not that frail, Sweetheart." He said quietly, noticing my gaze.

I took the needle from the first aid kit Peeta had set on the coffee table and I sewed up the jagged cut running down his thigh.

He was a good patient, as good as they come, but that's what worried me. Haymitch was never the good patient type.

I slathered the medicine I found in the kit generously along the cut and blossoming purple and brown bruises. When I was content with my work, I wrapped a large, sanitized cloth bandage around his leg.

Despite his previous words, that was the first time I ever really thought of Haymitch as breakable.

He leant his head back against the sofa and closed his tired, veined eyelids. His leg shook slightly, but other than that he was still.

That was the first time I really felt scared for him. I'd been so caught up in saving Peeta that I never stopped to think that I might lose Haymitch too. There was no way to win.

I watched the fire crackling, dancing, crimson flames leaping in the grate.

I hated the Capitol.

I hated the Games.

But most of all, I hated President Snow. That snake of a man would be the only one I would ever fantasize about killing.

"Katniss," Peeta's voice rung out softly, breaking me out of my thoughts. He knelt down beside me and brushed his thumb over my cheek. He caught a stray tear I hadn't even noticed had escaped.

"I'll watch Haymitch, you need to go get some rest." I nodded jerkily and got up.

I turned back to Peeta, there was so much brimming on the tip of my tongue, so much I wanted to say.

"Just… make sure he drinks a lot of water." I settled with. Peeta nodded.

I didn't tell him that I didn't want to go rest.

I didn't tell him that I didn't think I could face the nightmares alone again without him.

 **Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading! :D Let me know what you think and leave a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm sorry I didn't post sooner, my weekend was really crazy and I hardly had any time at all to write. But I've finally got the next chapter here now. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: No, I'm still not Suzanne Collins… :)**

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 6**

 _ **Prim,**_

 _ **I hope you're doing well, little duck.**_

 _ **I miss you so much. I wish I could've said goodbye before I left, but I guess life doesn't always work out that way. I hope mom and Gale are doing well too. I think about you all often.**_

I sighed and drug my fingers through my sleep-tangled hair. I couldn't do it. I dropped the pen on the coffee table, crinkled up the piece of paper, and tossed it in the trash can.

"They all know how much they mean to you, Katniss." Peeta said, climbing onto the couch beside me. He'd known I'd been trying to write them letters. He also knew that I wasn't likely to complete a single one.

"And if they forget, you can remind them when you get back from the Games." Peeta had also been uncomfortable with the fact that I was trying to say goodbye. He was stubbornly in denial. But I wasn't going to be the one to burst his bubble just yet, not when things were finally getting better between us.

"You're right." I said, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Katniss, you'll be fine. You just need to be yourself and… you know… make a few allies." Allies… Haymitch and Peeta had been a united front on nearly every issue lately, it was starting to get on my nerves.

Peeta placed a soft kiss to my forehead, then stood up and made his way over to the dining room to get himself some breakfast.

The sound of heavy footsteps alerted me to Haymitch's presence. He was limping, but his leg was healing up quite nicely. The Capitol medicine really did do wonders. He, on the other hand, had been much more agitated than usual.

"Ready to go down to training, Haymitch?" I asked. He grunted, grabbed a bottle of the hangover tonic, and made his way towards the door.

"Okay, then…" I muttered to myself. I followed the older man out the door calling out a quick, "See you in a bit!" to Peeta.

It was the third day of training, the previous day had gone by quietly. Haymitch had mostly sat at the knot tying station or the edible insects and plants station, trying to let his leg heal.

I'd been trying to make allies with little success. No one, it seemed, would take me seriously.

Haymitch and I walked into the elevator. The doors closed around us with a beep.

"You should have just left me." Haymitch said quietly. I turned to look at him, nonplussed.

"What are you talking about?"

"When I fell. Sweetheart, now that they know that I mean something, anything to you, they can and will use that against you."

"Who's they?"

"The other tributes, of course." He said stiffly. The elevator beeped again and the doors opened giving us a wide view of the nearly empty Training Center.

There was something about the way he spoke that made me think he wasn't just talking about the other tributes.

Suddenly that made me feel very afraid for him.

I didn't dare ask him anything more, for I knew there were cameras everywhere, nothing we said would be safe.

Both of us had gotten pretty good with knots over the three days of training. Though not quite as good as Finnick Odair. When I was working on knots, Finnick had come over and made a noose and pretended to hang himself… He thought he was so funny and charming.

But still I agreed to show him how to shoot if he showed me his best knots. I didn't know, maybe they would come in handy. Besides, Haymitch wanted me to be making friends.

I spent most of the day learning intricate knots, I just hoped that I would be able to remember some of them.

Then I took Finnick over to the archery station. I grabbed a bow and quiver, they felt so natural in my hands. I hit my target every time without struggle.

I couldn't help but smile when Finnick's jaw dropped open. It was then that I realized everyone was staring at me.

Behind everyone else, in the back of the room, Haymitch gave me a thumbs up, a small smile visible.

 _Nice shooting, Sweetheart,_

I could almost hear him say. I smiled widely back. I didn't think I'd have much trouble finding allies after that.

Peeta was able to eat with us at lunch. Haymitch suggested we go and sit with Chaff and Seeder. My shooting had been a prominent part of the conversation during the meal.

I had no idea that my shooting had been that impressive to people.

Peeta sat close to me, watching me with a look filled with pride.

I couldn't help but blush.

"You two are so sweet together." Seeder commented. She placed her elbows on the table, folded her hands together, and rested her chin on them. Peeta smiled at me.

"It's all her, really. She's got both the brains and the looks. I'm just glad she lets me stick around."

Chaff and Seeder laughed. I was very grateful that Peeta was there. He got along perfectly and effortlessly with both of them and he squeezed my hand under the table.

After lunch we began to make our way to the waiting room so the tributes could show their skills to the Gamemakers. Peeta and I walked a bit slower, he could tell that I was reluctant.

"Do you know what you're going to show them?" Peeta asked, he reached out to hold my hand as we walked.

"I don't know, maybe some knots? Finnick's been helping me out a lot with those today."

"Oh, Finnick Odair?" I couldn't help but notice the jealousy leaking into his tone that he tried hard to conceal.

"Mhm." I said with a nod, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Well, Katniss, whatever you do," He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Remember to shoot straight."

"I will." And with that I walked into the waiting room and Peeta left. I nodded at Haymitch who was already sitting at the back of the room. He nodded back and I sat in the chair next to him.

"You got something good planned?" Haymitch asked.

"Well, I was maybe thinking about doing some knots or something." I picked at a hangnail on my thumb and I didn't meet his gaze.  
Haymitch sighed.

"Well, I suggest you try to surprise them."

And with that, we fell silent.

I sat in the waiting room watching all the other tributes get called back to amaze the Gamemakers with their skills. As if they didn't already know everything that we could do.

Haymitch had told me to surprise them, but I couldn't of anything that I could do that would surprise them.

Shoot some arrows, maybe?

Tie some of the knots that Finnick showed me how to?

I wondered what Haymitch had planned to do. His face was a blank slate as he sat beside me. I wasn't used to him being so unreadable.

Eventually Haymitch was called back, he limped slightly as he walked back to the room, then I waited.

The fifteen minutes that I waited there drug on and on. It was like time was torturing me on purpose.

"District 12, Katniss Everdeen." A voice finally rang out clearly. It was my turn. I stood up, brushed the wrinkles out of my clothes and made my way into the room.

The first thing I noticed was the smug face of the head Gamemaker, and all of the others behind him all safe up on the stage.

None of them had to worry about the Games the way we did, about dying, about losing all of their friends, their loved ones…

In my mind I saw Prim's small dirt covered face as she crouched on the ground trying to dig out some edible roots.

Gale, being whipped within an inch of his life for trying to feed his family.

And Peeta. Poor, sweet Peeta. The determined look on his face that showed that he was so ready to die for me, tossing the bread out to me when I was starving, holding me…

They did this to us.

And suddenly, I knew what I was going to do.

Maybe It was stupid, but I didn't care.

I grabbed the rope from the knot tying station and a knife from knife throwing. I cut the rope into appropriate size pieces and began to make knots.

At first, it didn't look like much, but they began to twist and turn, falling into place as letters.

I set one next to another, working on hiding most of it from view of the Gamemakers with my body. When it was done, I took a match, struck it, and lit the ropes on fire.

 _ **For Peeta**_

It read, burning brightly. I stepped out of the way to give the Gamemakers a good view view. Up on their platform they could read it perfectly.

I went and grabbed one of the target dummies and dug my fingers in some paint. The crude words that emerged on the dummy from my fingers read:

 _ **Seneca Crane**_

I held it up for the Gamemakers to see.

It was obvious that it caused a lot of distress on stage which sent a thrill down my spine. I was running purely on adrenaline.

I dragged the dummy over to the flaming words and dropped it in.

It didn't even take a second for the dummy to ignite. The flames consumed it, devouring the cloth like they had been starving.

They crackled happily, loudly, sparks flying.

I heard a woman shriek on the stage and a glass broke.

I watched for a moment until all that was left of the dummy was ash.

Then I bowed, never breaking eye contact with the head Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee. The shock on his face, though quickly masked, had made itself evident.

He stared at me steadily.

"You may go, Ms. Everdeen." He said. I gave them all a fake smile before walking out of the room.

 **Author's Note: Thanks for reading! :) I hope you guys enjoyed that one. Any reviews/comments will be hugely appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hey Guys! I have a chapter that's a bit longer for you tonight. I enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or the Characters.**

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 7**

"You did what?" Haymitch asked, staring at me with his jaw hanging open.

Effie looked horrified.

And Peeta… Peeta stared at me with an expression that seemed more panicked that anything.

I'd been avoiding the topic of my 15 minutes with Gamemakers as long as I could, but the 12 flashing on the screen for both Haymitch and I had inevitably forced me to spill.

"How could you think that was a good idea, Katniss?" Haymitch asked, trying to keep his voice even. I could tell it was taking every ounce of strength he had not to start yelling at me.

The worst part of it was, I didn't have a good reason.

"I don't know, it just seemed like the thing to do at the time." I said with a nonchalant shrug.

"Katniss, this is serious." Effie said, she looked like she was trying to keep back frustrated tears. She batted her long, golden eyelashes furiously.

"Last year they liked it when I shot an arrow at them." I said stubbornly, looking back at Haymitch.

"Well last year you were just another tribute, Sweetheart. It's pretty clear that they don't want you to get out of the arena alive this time. You go and do something stupid like this…" He gestured towards me and shook his head. "It's going to ensure that you get your very own cannon."

"Well, what did you do, Haymitch?"

"I threw knives at the dummies like a normal person!"

Effie suddenly stood up and and ran out of the room, unable to deal with it anymore.

Peeta stood up as well and quickly left the room, shooting me one last tragic glance as he left.

I wiped my face with my napkin and stood up to follow him.

Haymitch met my gaze with a look of pure disappointment and agitation. My stomach twisted uncomfortably. I turned away from him and chased after Peeta.

"Peeta!" I called out, following him as he walked down the hallway and climbed onto the roof. As he stood there he was turned away from me, I rushed over and grabbed his arm. He yanked it away quickly.

"How could you do that?"

A beat passed, silence. I didn't know what to say, I wrapped my arms around myself and I repeated the words I found myself saying a lot, feeling like a broken record more than anything.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." Peeta scoffed angrily.

"Peeta, you have to believe me." I pleaded.

"Katniss, I can't… I can't…" Peeta shook his head, he turned to look at me, and terror filled his blue eyes. His voice cracked as he spoke and he bit his lip.

"I can't lose you." And then he started crying. I'd never seen him cry before. And he'd had more than plenty of reasons to cry in the past. Maybe that was why it shocked me so much. I wrapped my arms around him and held him as he shook.

So helpless...

"Shh, it's alright." I kept whispering, over and over again, until the words began to completely lose their meaning.

"I just can't live without you, Katniss, you don't understand." Peeta whispered, voice trembling and vulnerable. It made my heart ache.

"Then help me." I whispered in response. He leant back so he could meet my eyes with his own, puffy, red ones.

"Help me get out of there alive." I said gently, stroking his soft blonde hair. Peeta nodded jerkily.

Then I leant in and kissed him. It was the first time I'd kissed him without any cameras, anyone else expecting something from it. It was just a kiss between me and him. Raw and real. I tasted his salty tears on his lips, causing me to pull him closer.

I didn't want to ever let him go. It scared me how much I cared for the boy with the bread. I wasn't the kind of person to ever let anyone in and I wasn't used to such intense feelings for anyone.

"Stay with me tonight?" I asked, pressing the pads of my fingertips to his.

I didn't mean it in a sexual way. I needed his presence, his warmth, I needed to soak up as much of him as I could before there was a chance I would never get to again.

Peeta nodded.

"Of course, Katniss." He spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, as if he'd do anything I asked him to. Anything except let me go.

We stayed up on the roof. He sat behind me and wrapped his arms around me to block the chilly air. I rubbed my hands to along his goosebump covered arms to warm him.

We watched the sunset, silently. Soft orange swirled with small bits of crimson, lilac, and pink to create a majestic looking sky. It could've been something right out of one of Peeta's paintings.

"It's beautiful." I said in awe.

"Almost as much as you." Peeta whispered in my ear. I looked up to find him staring at me. I suddenly felt immensely uncomfortable.

"I don't deserve someone as wonderful as you." I muttered, looking downwards.

"You undervalue yourself." He said simply. I didn't bother arguing, for I knew he would counteract everything I said. But privately I thought that he undervalued himself as well.

That night he held me, tighter than he'd ever held me before. I clung to him, like he was all that I had, and maybe that was true in a way. He kissed my forehead softly and sang to me a quiet, haunting tune.

He cradled me and the words of the song began to mix with the figures of my dreams that I would never be able to remember.

Someone was shaking me. The evanescent dream I was in was beginning to fade away. I found the tendrils of my mind trying to reach out and grasp it. It was such a lovely dream.

"Katniss." A voice called, and then suddenly I was conflicted. I knew that voice. I was even sure in that moment that I loved that voice. Would I let it rouse me though?

"Katniss, wake up." The voice spoke again. It was then that I stopped resisting the looming awakening and I peeled my eyes open to see Peeta hovering above me.

"Hello, there." I said, stretching my arms high above my head. I looked over at the window and realized that the sky was still dark. It was approaching dawn.

"Why'd you get me up so early?" I asked, confused. Tired mind trying to grasp for an explanation.

"To help you." Peeta said. He grabbed my hand and pulled up into a sitting position. I yawned and blinked, quickly becoming more alert.

"Come with me." He said, and I did.

I followed him as he led me out onto the roof again, stepping over the puddles of silver moonlight lingering on the ground.

The dark made the chill extra bitter, I wrapped my arms tight around myself and this time Peeta didn't help warm me up. He seemed to be lost in his mind.

"Katniss, Haymitch and I have been talking and, well, I came up with this idea for your interview with Caesar. I think it just might work. Haymitch thinks so too." And then he explained his idea to me, up there where no one else could see or hear.

It was crazy, yet brilliant in a way. It just might work. And for the briefest moment, I felt the hint of a hope.

Maybe there was some way I could make it back home. Maybe President Snow would leave me alone if I won the 75th Hunger Games.

Deep down I knew there was no way he'd let me go free until I was six feet under ground, but I pushed that thought aside for the time being. Maybe, just maybe…

When the sun peaked out over the horizon, bathing the world in a golden glow, we went back inside.

I took a warm shower, letting the heat of the cascading water work the stiffness out of my cold and aching muscles.

By the time I went out to the dining room, breakfast was well under way. Haymitch and Peeta were most of the way done with their food and Effie was nowhere to be seen.

Haymitch didn't seem quite as upset with me as he had the day before. Maybe Peeta had talked with him, it certainly seemed probable.

After breakfast it was time for me to find my prep team. They were more emotional than ever, and when they had finished, it was clear they were saying goodbye.

Even they knew what little chance I had of of getting out of the arena.

Then Cinna came in and embraced me, I'm sure he could tell how much I needed it.

"What am I going to be wearing tonight?" I asked him, he pulled out a beautiful, intricate wedding dress. It's the one that I had been meant to wear on my wedding night.

"President Snow insisted."

"Of course he did."

He helped me carefully into it. It was beautiful for sure, long, and exceptionally heavy.

"Remember, don't spin until the end."

"Okay." I nodded, he led me out to the elevator where Haymitch, Peeta, and Effie were all waiting.

Haymitch was wearing a simple black tuxedo which was seemed to pale in comparison to my over-the-top pearl covered wedding dress.

"See you later, girl on fire." Cinna said with a small smile. He turned and walked away as the elevator doors closed, blocking him from view.

"Oh, Katniss, you're so beautiful." Effie said, tears obvious in her eyes.

I noticed Peeta wouldn't look away from me, I grabbed his hand.

When we got off the elevator, Haymitch and I split off from the others and made our way backstage.

"Remember, Sweetheart, you're in love. You're devastated. You'd thought you'd finally found your happily ever after with Peeta and then you found out you'd be participating in the next Games. Now you want nothing more than to make it out of the arena and back to him."

"Got it." I said with a nod. Haymitch gave me a smile that seemed almost genuine.

"Try not to screw it up." He told me. I couldn't help but smile back at him.

The other tributes gawked at my dress, I almost felt like I was naked the way they were staring. I had to resist the urge to wrap my arms around myself to try and cover up.

"Really, you're going to be wearing that?" Johanna Mason said, her tone full of disgust.

I recognized her, she was well known around the training center for her attitude and constantly being naked. In fact, most of the times I had seen her before she hadn't been wearing a thing.

"President Snow made me wear it." I said, feeling just a little bit defensive. She paused for a moment, looking me over, it was clear she didn't like me.

"Just make him pay for it." Johanna said. I nodded, hoping that I wouldn't pay even more for it.

Each of the tributes was called onstage for their interviews. Some cried, some fought the Games with logic, other, like Johanna, were angry.

By the time I was called out on stage, the crowd was already a wreck and seeing me in my wedding gown seemed to be too much for all of them.

I came up to stand beside Caesar. He commented on the beauty of my dress and I thanked him.

"So, Katniss, this has been an incredibly emotional night for everyone here. Is there anything you'd like to say." He waved the microphone in front of my face.

I looked out over the crowd and my gaze instantly settled upon Peeta, he gave me a small nod. It wasn't much but it was just enough to give me the courage to do what I needed to do.

"Yes, Caesar, there is. I want to say what an honor it has been these few months that I've been one of the winners of the 74th Hunger Games." I looked out at the crowd, dragging my gaze slowly from left to right and back again.

"You all have been so amazingly wonderful and supportive." My voice cracked, it was the perfect time for it really. It gave it just the right touch.

"But one of the best parts of it all has been realizing my love for Peeta." The crowd was silent, every eye was trained only on me.

"I think we're all more than a little disappointed that a certain wedding didn't take place." Caesar said.

"Actually," I began. "It did." The crowd buzzed in a very confused manner.

"What do you mean? Tell us more." Caesar spoke.

"Well, we got married in private. I just couldn't wait to begin the rest of my life with him. It would've all been enough, really, if it wasn't for the baby."

The crowd was in chaos. Loud, indignant voices shouted of the injustice. Accusations resounded throughout the room. Caesar couldn't quiet them.

It was then that I spun, turning faster and faster as the flames engulfed my wedding dress.

The crowd shrieked, wailed, and moaned. The Capitol crowd was certainly expressive, I would give them that.

Suddenly, the fire stopped. I was standing in a black dress, similar in shape to the wedding dress I'd worn before. I raised my arms in the air to find feathered wings attached to them. I was a mockingjay.

I heard sobs, cries, and more shouting. Caesar was trying desperately to quiet the crowd and I walked up to my seat with the other tributes with a dramatic swoop of my wings.

Haymitch didn't get much attention as he stumbled up onto the stage. I noticed that he was acting rather intoxicated, even though I'd been sure he'd been sober for days.

"So, Haymitch, I'm sure that this Quarter Quell must've been a large shock for you. How did you feel when you found out?"

"Well, upset obviously. I drank until I passed out." Haymitch responded simply and bluntly.

Caesar tried his best to help Haymitch become someone the crowd would root for, but Haymitch always turned it back around, presenting himself as the somber older drunk guy.

Not that it really mattered, the crowd was still buzzing and chattering from the news of my pregnancy. Some curious eyes were watching him intently though.

"Haymitch, what was it that inspired you to volunteer to take Peeta's place as tribute?" Caesar tried, obviously hoping another angle might get him where he wanted to go.

"Well, I figured that I'd go either way, whether it be from one too many drinks or from being blown up in the arena. There's not much of a difference in the end, really. Peeta's young, he's still got plenty of life to live."

The timer eventually went off, signalling the end of the interviews, and leaving both Caesar and the crowd unsatisfied. Haymitch stumbled back to the tribute seats. He gave me a small, barely noticeable wink.

I just stared at him.

What was he doing?

The anthem began, cranked up much louder than normal to be heard above the noisy crowd.

We all stood up and suddenly Chaff took my hand with his good one, I looked at him for a moment before taking Haymitch's.

It caused a chain reaction, for within a few moments all the tributes were holding hands. We raised our hands up high in the air for everyone to see.

The crowd was beyond hysterical and Caesar looked more flustered than I'd ever seen him before, for in that moment, we stood as one.

 **Author's Note: Yay! I hope ya'll like that one! Let me know what you think. Reviews and comments are super appreciated!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I've got another chapter here for you. Enjoy! :D**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games series.**

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 8**

Everything was in chaos.

The screens went dark, the replays of the interviews were canceled, and Peacekeepers were trying to rein in the indignant crowd.

It was clear we had started something. We set off a bomb that was bigger than any of us individually and it had been a long time coming.

Peacekeepers were herding all of the tributes, making sure we didn't mingle with the others. The damage was already done though, no matter how much they tried to reverse it.

Haymitch hurried along, trying to keep up, but he was a little slower than usual with his leg. We were marched into the elevator and sent up to our floor.

I looked over at Haymitch, trying to gauge how he was feeling. What could he be thinking? There was a glint in his eyes, he looked more determined than I'd ever seen him before.

I wanted to ask him, to know. But he couldn't tell me anything, not with all of the cameras around.

The doors abruptly opened and we stepped out of the elevator onto our floor and immediately Peeta rushed over and wrapped his arms tight around me.

"You were incredible." He whispered, holding me like he would never be able to again.

We went to the dining room and ate dinner (lamb stew with dried plums), but I found I couldn't eat much, even though it was delicious. The other's seemed to be having difficulty as well.

As soon as dinner was finished, Effie abruptly left the room. Before I'd had a chance to wonder what had caused her sudden unexplained absence, she hurried back into the room.

"Here, I've got this for you." Effie said, setting a large jug in front of Haymitch. It must've been able to hold around half a gallon of liquid. The light scent of the hangover tonic drifted out from it as it sloshed up on the edges.

"It should keep you for around 24 hours, so drink it in the morning as close to the time you'll be going into the… arena… as you can." Effie's voice cracked, her almost always impeccable demeanor was showing a few obvious cracks.

"Effie…" Haymitch said, concern starting to show. It was an odd moment, realizing that the pair actually cared for each other.

Effie shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Effie, come here." Haymitch said, he wrapped his arms around her and a few sobs shook through her small body.

"I'll miss you." Haymitch said as he pulled back. Effie nodded, obviously not trusting herself to speak.

Haymitch smiled at Effie sadly before turning to Peeta.

"Take care, Peeta." He said gruffly.

"You too, Haymitch." Peeta replied and he shook his hand.

"See you tomorrow, Sweetheart." Haymitch said to me before he turned and limped off towards his bedroom.

It was then that Effie really broke down.

She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Peeta rushed over and gave her a half hug while patting her on the back, shooting me a helpless look.

I just stood back, watching as if I were watching through a fog, through a screen, it wasn't real…

But it was.

More real than anything had ever been before.

It was too much, I quietly left for my own room. I didn't want to start crying myself, and being out there, I was dangerously close.

I wasted as much time as I could, putting off going to bed.

I showered, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and tried on a few different pairs of pajamas. A red satin nightgown that was too light, a lace gown that was too itchy, and a pair of cotton pants and shirt that I eventually settled on wearing, even though they seemed too heavy.

I sighed, climbed onto the bed, and rested my head on my knees. I just wasn't ready. I was too tired, too drained, there was too much that was left unsaid.

The door cracked open and a figure descended into the darkened room. The weight of the bed shifted as Peeta sat beside me. He wrapped his arms tight around me.

"How's Effie doing?" I asked quietly.

"She'll be alright." He replied.

"I meant to say goodbye to her, I just.. couldn't." I admitted.

"It's okay, Katniss, she'll understand." He said, and whether she actually would or not, it didn't matter anymore. It was too late, I wasn't going back out.

We didn't say anything else, because there was nothing that could be said using something so inadequate as words.

I had so much that I wanted him to understand, but I just curled into him closer, hoping that maybe that could convey the things that I couldn't say.

In the end, I realized, Peeta would be the hardest one to leave, the hardest one to say goodbye to. I never would've thought I'd care for him so much. I never thought I would need his arms around me or his warmth. But I did.

I didn't know whether or not we slept much that night. I spent most of it drifting in and out dreams and always holding him tight.

"Katniss…" I was being shaken awake. But I didn't want to wake, not with everything that was waiting for me in the real world.

"Katniss, it's time for you to leave." I opened my eyes to find Peeta sitting beside me.

Cinna stood in the doorway, he was going to come with me to dress me for the games.

I reluctantly stood up. The sun cast it's bright glare in through the open window and a slight breeze drifted in through the room. It was nice.

"I'll let you two have a moment." Cinna said, stepping back into the hallway and closing the door.

I stood there alone with the blond haired boy for a few minutes before my tired mind remembered that the odds were that that would be the last time I'd ever see him.

"Peeta…" I said, eyes darting across his face, trying to take it all in.

"I'll see you soon, Katniss." He said simply, but I couldn't let that be it. The end of it all.

"Peeta!" I said again, feeling more frantic. I crashed my lips against his, kissing him intensely. I trembled, not knowing if I could actually say goodbye.

He cradled my face softly, as if it were an expensive piece of china or a precious family heirloom.

I held him like he was my life.

We broke apart too soon. It was Peeta who pulled back. He pressed a kiss to my forehead and gave me a small smile.

"Shoot straight." He whispered. He turned and left before I could say anything, before I could even get a chance to say goodbye.

"You ready?" Cinna asked, standing in the doorway. I sighed.

"Yes, I am." I said, slowly gathering my resolve.

We climbed up onto the roof and made our way into the hovercraft that was ready for us. The tracker was injected into my arm, so they would always know where I was in the arena.

The rest was just a waiting game, which was agonizing.

"You need to eat something." Cinna insisted, he set a plate of hot food and a glass of water on the table before which I sat.

"I'm not that hungry." I admitted.

"You will be in the arena." He insisted. It was that simple reminder that encouraged me to nibble on the food and finish off the glass of water.

Cinna held my hand for most of the flight. I was thankful, he just seemed to know how much I needed human contact right then.

After a while we reached the Launch Room in the arena. Cinna helped me get dressed in the simple blue jumpsuit that was provided for me and he braided my hair like my mother used to do before dad had died.

"Thank you, Cinna, for everything." I said, embracing him.

"Remember, Katniss," Cinna said, pulling back and looking me in the eyes.

"I'm still betting on you." He kissed my forehead and pinned the mockingjay pin onto my jumpsuit.

I stepped through the opening of the glass cylinder, it immediately closed around me. I waited for a moment. Why wasn't it taking me up into the arena?

And the door to the room burst open. Three Peacekeepers stormed into the Launch Room. I didn't have any time to comprehend what was going on before they hit Cinna. They kept hitting him creating deep gashes along his face and body.

"No!" I screamed again and again, slamming my shaking fists into the glass. But I was completely ignored.

One of the Peacekeepers hit him hard in the temple and I saw Cinna's limp, blood-covered body fall to the ground.

The Peacekeepers drug him out of the room by his arms, glistening crimson smearing across the floor.

I could hardly breathe.

Nauseating terror swept through me, the world spun, and the plate underneath my feet rose, bringing me up into the arena.

 **Author's Note: Alright, we're finally to the Games! Thank ya'll for reading! Leave a review and let me know what you think! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I know it's been a few days since I've posted, life's gotten really crazy lately and I've haven't had very many chances to write. But don't worry! I'm still working on writing this story and I'll definitely see it through to the end. :) Well, I've got another chapter for you! Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I don't own the Hunger Games or the characters.**

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 9**

The shimmering sapphire ground was undulating steadily all around me. Or was it the ground? It was bright, so bright, I couldn't see.

I couldn't stop thinking about Cinna.

But Claudius Templesmith's loud booming voice began to bring me back to reality.

Water. It was water that surrounded me, that surrounded all of the tributes.

Most of the tributes wouldn't know how to swim, they'd never had the chance.

I forced myself out of my mind so I could focus on my ever spinning surroundings.

The Cornucopia sat on a circular bit of land with twelve spokes reaching from it in even intervals with two tributes on pedestals in between every pair of spokes.

Everything in between was water. I'd never seen so much water in my life.

The scent made it clear that it was saltwater, and therefore not drinkable. In a circle around all the water and tributes was a jungle.

When the gong sounded I stood there for a moment before I realized that I was able to go.

I jumped off of the pedestal diving into the deep water, thankful, for a brief moment, that I knew how to swim. Most of the tributes were still on their pedestals, carefully toeing the water.

By the time I got to the land strip in the center of the arena, Finnick had already gotten there, picked through the supplies at the horn, and was leaving. He gave me a quick wink.

Even though his hands were full of weapons, he didn't go after me. He could've easily taken me out, but he just dove right back in the water and swam past me.

I watched him dumbstruck for a moment before I shook my head and turned back to the supplies.

I ran, fast. Even though I didn't see any other tributes nearing the land strip, I knew that the Cornucopia blocked a good portion of my view. Letting my guard down for a split second could be the greatest mistake.

There was a large pile of weapons at the Cornucopia, as well as a couple spare objects. But there were no backpacks.

The Gamemakers definitely wanted the Games to be exceptionally bloody.

All of the supplies were tossed in one big pile and not spread out like they were in the last games.

I grabbed a golden bow and quiver full of arrows, twenty arrows. If I used it right, I could make it last an awful long time.

I also grabbed a sharp looking dagger and slid it underneath the belt on my jumpsuit, it rested comfortably there.

I scanned my surroundings, searching for Haymitch. I hadn't seen him yet so he must've been on the other side of the arena.

I sprinted around the edge of the Cornucopia, keeping my bow drawn, and eyes sharp.

It was then that I saw him.

If I hadn't looked for another moment, I would've missed it entirely.

A familiar man with a straw colored head of hair disappeared into the thick of the jungle. He left without even looking back. I should've known that Haymitch's survival instincts would kick in…

It felt as if I were punched in the gut, thinking about it.

But I couldn't stop to dwell on it, the other tributes were beginning to reach the Cornucopia. Several of the Careers got to the center land strip first but Seeder came paddling up not too far behind.

Cashmere locked her gaze upon Seeder, who was struggling onto the sand a few feet away.

"Seeder!" I screamed, and not a moment too soon. Seeder ducked just in time to avoid the knife that was thrown at her. Cashmere howled as my arrow punctured her foot. I grabbed Seeder's hand and helped her up.

"Thank you, Katniss." Her words were drenched in gratitude. I nodded.

Suddenly someone crashed into me, pinning me to the ground with my arms trapped beneath their knees. It was Gloss.

I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't reach my dagger and I definitely couldn't shoot an arrow.

He held his dagger above me, just another few inches and I would be dead... Then his eyes rolled back into his head and he crashed down upon me. A dark red stain spread across the back of his jumpsuit and a spear protruded from his back.

I looked up. Beetee was standing not too far away and it was clear he had thrown it.

"Thank you." I mouthed, not having enough breath to actually call the words out. Beetee nodded with a small smile and then continued on his way.

I grunted and rolled the dead Career off of me. I stood up, shaking, gasping for breath, but alert.

I shot an arrow Enobaria who was quickly making her way towards me. She dived back into the water, narrowly avoiding the arrow.

I dove out of Brutus's way, he'd had been racing towards me.

I ran to the other side of the Cornucopia. It was time for me to remove myself from the bloodbath.

I heard the clanging of weapons colliding behind me, but I didn't look back. I swam as fast as I could, racing towards the thick jungle that surrounded the center of the arena.

I climbed, dripping, up onto the sandy beach and I raced into the thick trees.

It was very hot. The sun poured in over the tops of the trees and the thick humidity only accentuated it.

I hadn't even done that much walking and sticky sweat was clinging to my skin.

The air smelt of something sweet, a perfumey flower maybe. If so, it was a flower that I'd never smelt before. But it smelled so good. I inhaled deeply.

My feet sunk slightly into the dark, spongy earth with every step that I took.

I cut away at vines and foliage blocking my path. There seemed to be no obvious path, so I just forged one.

Time seemed to be falling away from me, the sun that started out so high in the sky was then beginning to lower itself. And it was so hot. I fanned myself.

I wondered why I hadn't found any water, it seemed like there should've been some by then.

I looked around and found a nice tree to climb and I quickly scaled it, wanting to get a better view. But I immediately wished I hadn't.

Near the golden Cornucopia there was a lot of blood and a few bodies, surrounding the Cornucopia and floating in the green tinted water.

Nausea rose and I quickly climbed back down the tree. I knew one of those bodies was that of Gloss, but what about the rest of them? Seeder? Beetee? I didn't want to think about it anymore.

So I continued walking, not really sure if I was going in circles or not. It all looked the same.

I was sweating profusely from the heat and humidity, I knew I was dehydrating myself, but there was nothing I could do about it. I just kept wandering, hoping I could find some water.

Suddenly someone barrelled into me so quickly that I nearly crashed to the ground. I caught my balance, throwing out my hand and catching myself on the nearest tree.

It was Seeder. She didn't look like she wanted to attack me. I eyed her carefully, but she just laid her weapons down.

Her hair was strewn all over, a tangled mess. She was panting, and her jumpsuit was very blood splattered, yet she didn't look too hurt, more shocked than anything.

"It was… was raining blood." She said, gasping for breath.

"What?" I asked, looking past her but seeing nothing.

"It just started suddenly, I couldn't see anything, I couldn't breathe…" Seeder drug her hands absentmindedly along the bark of the nearest tree trunk, staining it a dreadful, dark crimson.

"Over there," She gestured behind her, into the thick Jungle.

"It just started coming down and it wouldn't stop."

"That sounds awful." I said truthfully.

And then we were silent. I didn't know what else to say. What do you say in that situation? Over the time I'd spent in the Capitol, I'd grown fond of the woman. But there was only one person coming out of the arena alive. There was no way to win.

"Allies?" She asked quietly. It was clear from the tone of her voice that she had no intention to kill me, whether or not I agreed.

When I looked at her I saw a mother, coaxing in her child for a hug. She smiled at me gently, softly. I sighed.

I looked at Seeder and nodded tentatively. I'd never wanted to have allies, especially with how painful it would be to lose them. But in that moment, I didn't mind the thought of another friendly face. I just hoped that if she died, it wouldn't be by my hands.

Seeder embraced me abruptly.

"Oh!" I said, hugging her back. For a moment I was confused but when she started speaking, I understood.

"He told me to give this to you." Seeder whispered in my ear, so quietly that I would be surprised if any cameras picked up on her words.

She placed a small, very circular nut into my hand. I stared at it, confused for a moment before I noticed very fine etchings on it.

I squinted and drew the nut close to my eyes. I wished for a moment that the lighting was better so I could read it clearer. It looked as if there was a small, crude etching of a key on it. A key with wings? It was hard to tell. Underneath the picture were three simple words.

Find it, Sweetheart.

I had a very strong feeling he didn't want the viewers to see it even though I didn't understand it myself.

Haymitch was always trying to convey messages to me in the previous Games, trusting that I would understand. But that one was little more difficult.

Still, I couldn't stop the smile that flashed across my face. Haymitch hadn't abandoned me. And he had a plan, even if I didn't understand it at the moment myself.

I gave the nut a light squeeze, and to my surprise, it crumbled instantly into a fine dust. He definitely didn't want anyone else to see it, yet for some reason he had entrusted Seeder with it.

We started to walk deeper into the jungle and Seeder quickly fell into step with me.

"So what's the plan?" She asked.

"Find water." I said, stepping over a rather large root.

"All the water we've seen so far is saltwater, which we can't drink."

We walked farther and farther. We didn't find any water but we didn't find any other tributes either. My throat was starting to ache and my lips were cracked.

What I really wanted was an ice cold glass of water like the cup Cinna gave me before the Games. Cinna… I blinked my eyes steadily trying to banish the images of his last moments.

"Oh, look!" Seeder said, pointing up at the trees around us. There was some large, golden fruit.

"How do we know it's safe?" I asked doubtfully. My stomach growled and I really wanted to eat it, but then again, I didn't know the fruit and the Gamemakers could've easily tampered with it.

"It's alright, it's from my district." She said, smiling. She climbed lightly up one of the trees, picked a couple, and dropped them down into my arms.

And then we ate. The fruit was delicious, sweet, and juicy. I quickly forgot any doubts I may have had. We ate until we were both so stuffed we had a hard time moving.

The sun faded away and the sky grew steadily darker.

"Why don't we just stay here for the night?" Seeder suggested. I didn't argue. We stayed there on the ground, not bothering to climb any trees or try to hide ourselves.

If trouble came, we'd face it.

The anthem began and the pictures of fallen tributes flashed across the top of the arena. There was Gloss, Cashmere, Blight, The female from district 5, and the male from district 10.

Haymitch's picture wasn't up there, that meant he was still alive. Somewhere in the arena. I wasn't sure what to think, what to feel. I was drained, exhausted, spent.

I kept picturing them dragging Cinna's bloody body away. Haymitch wasn't dead yet, but he could be killed at any moment, and so could I.

I pictured Peeta, watching, hoping, I couldn't stop the thrill of fear and anxiety that ran down my spine as I imagined him watching as I was killed.

I couldn't protect him. I couldn't protect anyone.

And the more I thought about the Haymitch's message, the more frustrated I was. I couldn't understand it. I had to find a key? A bird? Something…

I sniffled, fighting back tears. I didn't want to cry, especially not for all of Panem to see.

"Get some rest." Seeder spoke softly, resting her hand on my stomach for a moment, reminding me that I was supposed to be pregnant.

"You need it." I nodded and didn't question it.

The lush vegetation beneath me made a rather comfortable bed, although not a safe one. I curled up into myself trusting that Seeder would awake me if needed. I quickly fell into a restless and fitful sleep.

 **Author's Note: Alright, guys, I hope you enjoyed that one! :) Please leave a review and let me know what you think.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Hey Guys! I wanted to thank you for all the lovely reviews. You guys are wonderful! :D I've got another chapter here for you now, I hope you enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games trilogy.**

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 10**

"Katniss!" Someone was shaking me.

I felt myself slipping out of a state of distant, dark dreams that blurred and faded away and I found myself in a place where the uncomfortable was much more real.

My throat burned, like the fires of hell itself had been clawing at it. I was thirsty. So thirsty.

"Katniss, get up now!" The voice was frantic.

I grabbed at my throat and blinked steadily. As the blurriness of sleep faded away I saw Seeder standing before me, eyes glossed over with fear. Fear. I stood up quickly.

At first my surroundings seemed normal, as normal as they could be in the Hunger Games. There were lots of trees, so thick that the sunlight was barely able to seep through the seemingly endless layers of leaves and branches.

I drew my bow, listening, watching, I didn't know what the danger was and I wasn't letting anything get past me.

Seeder shook her head at me.

It was then that I noticed a large flower up in one of the trees. It was shaking violently. I watched, mesmerized, as it seemed to shake itself free of the tree and it floated softly down to the ground.

"Katniss, look out!" Seeder screamed, grabbing hold of my hand and pulling me out of the way just in time.

When the flower settled itself on the ground, it exploded silently, charring everything within five or six feet of it.

"What is that?" I asked, shaking.

"I don't know, but it's not good." I looked up and noticed that the trees were full of the flowers. I stared, jaw hanging open,

I had been sure there hadn't been any flowers around the night before. The flowers were white and looked disturbingly like oversized white roses.

"Let's go." I said, I didn't hear any complaints from Seeder as we raced through the jungle, narrowly missing the bombs.

We lept over a fallen tree and ran down a steep hill. Debris was flying everywhere as bombs went off all around.

Seeder screamed and fell over backwards as a bomb went off a little too close to her.

"Seeder! Are you alright?" I helped her up and she nodded, shaking.

"It didn't even really get me." She said, but I noticed her jumpsuit seemed rather singed.

We kept running. There never seemed to be an end, it wouldn't stop.

 _This is going to be it._

I thought, dodging another few bombs and running endlessly. I couldn't see how we could get out of it all alive. One of those times a bomb would fall just a little too close…

But then it abruptly stopped, mostly. Bombs were still going off, but they were going off a few feet away from us, never quite reaching us. It was as if there was some sort of invisible barrier holding them in.

Seeder sat down, gasping for breath. I looked around, surveying our surroundings.

"Come on, Seeder, it's not safe here." I said, unable to shake the feeling of danger. The woman nodded.

"Okay, let's go." We walked around a few trees thick with leaves and branches and found ourselves in a small clearing. In the middle of a clearing sat a man. At first, I didn't recognize him, but with a pang, I realized it was my former mentor.

"Hello, Sweetheart, nice to see you again." He said casually, with a flip of his twig-filled, tangled, blond hair. He didn't seem surprised to see us at all.

"Haymitch?" I said, feeling more than a little bemused. But I didn't spend much time dwelling on it because behind him something else had caught my attention.

"Water!" I said, Seeder's head shot up at the sound and we both rushed over thirstily.

It was coming out of the tree from a… branch? No. Upon closer examination it appeared to be a crudely carved spile made from a tree branch and the water was flowing through it.

"The water was in the trees, all this time!" Seeder said with a laugh. I didn't hesitate before crouching down and opening my mouth under the steady stream of water. It was fresh, cold, and stung against my raw throat. But I didn't mind. I gulped until I'd had my fill and Seeder did the same.

I looked up at Haymitch with a grateful smile. He was scraping his dagger against a thick tree branch he had lying over his legs, quickly removing the rough bark.

He didn't show it, but I knew he was happy to see me as well.

Since I was no longer thirsty, my mind was drawn to my steadily growling stomach.

I grabbed my bow and quiver of arrows and stood back up.

"I'm going to go get some food, I won't be far." I announced.

"I'll come with you!" Seeder said, standing up quickly. Haymitch shook his head.

"No, I will." His tone was final. Seeder nodded and stepped back. I looked between them, feeling even more confused. What was going on?

Haymitch set down the branch he was working on and then he walked over to me (his limp barely noticeable anymore) and he put his hand on my back.

"Well, lead the way, Sweetheart." We set off in search of dinner, maybe a nice squirrel or, if we were lucky, a rabbit.

The silence was thick between us.

I wanted to ask him why he went off without me. Why he gave that nut to Seeder, what it meant. What his plan was. Why he'd been acting so odd and unpredictable ever since the reaping. But he stubbornly avoided all of those topics, which were so obviously brimming on the tip of my tongue.

"You find anything interesting?" Haymitch suddenly asked, his tone made it clear that he was talking about the message on the nut, even if he didn't say anything about it.

"No, not particularly. You?" My words were clipped, short. I found myself annoyed at all the vagueness even though I had known that we couldn't speak openly.

"I thought you'd have found something by now, with you being so good at hunting." It was clear he wasn't talking about hunting, not in the way the viewers would think he was.

"Well, maybe you should try it." I snapped.

"Katniss, this is serious!" He said, suddenly coming to a halt. Haymitch looked me deep in the eyes trying to convey the seriousness.

"If you don't find any game, then we're all going to starve." His voice was quiet and deadly. And suddenly I grasped what he was saying.

The nut and message were more important than I'd previously thought and the growing feeling of frantic hopelessness was even more intense than ever.

"Where would I start looking for game?" I asked quietly. Haymitch gave me a small smile, leant forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"You'll find it." He whispered softly. Haymitch turned and began making his way through the trees again, I rolled my eyes and followed him.

I certainly didn't have the same faith in myself as he seemed to have in me.

Suddenly my eye caught a bit of movement off to the side. I turned, bow drawn, preparing for the worst.

It was a squirrel, a quite misshapen squirrel at that. The squirrel was sitting on a rock underneath a large tree at the back of a clearing.

The squirrel was acting very oddly, running around in circles, squeaking frantically, and… pointing? No, squirrels don't point. But in any case it drew my eyes up to the thick leaves of the tree it sat beneath.

An unnatural glimmer in the tree branches caught my attention. I stepped forward, carefully, silently as I had learned to do over the years.

And then I saw it. Dangling tantalizingly from one of the branches the tree there was a very circular ball. It was golden in color with small markings on it. It looked remarkably like… the nut!

I had a pretty strong feeling that was what I was supposed to find, or at least part of it. But it seemed much too easy. I looked around me, suspecting a trap.

When I found nothing, I continued walking forward. The squirrel kept running in circles and squealing. The closer I got, the more misshapen it seemed. The squirrel was terribly swollen in several different spots.

I walked past it and reached my trembling fingers up towards the golden ball to grab it.

"Not so fast, Everdeen." I froze. I turned slowly, wide-eyed, to see Brutus. He had Haymitch in a headlock and had two daggers pressed to his neck.

"Better step back or Abernathy won't last another minute." Haymitch was mouthing _**No**_ at me, but the terror of realizing that Haymitch was about to get killed in front of me was too much.

I took a small step away.

"Good girl. Now drop your weapons." Alarm bells were ringing steadily in my mind, but Brutus pressed one of the daggers in slightly and I saw a small stream of crimson run down Haymitch's neck.

I tossed the bow and quiver, but kept the dagger tucked away, hidden in my belt. I didn't plan on letting Brutus get away alive.

The man laughed derisively. He let go of Haymitch for a moment before he slammed his fist into his skull, knocking my former mentor to the ground.

Haymitch clutched at his head and Brutus stepped over him.

Brutus's eyes were trained on me. I'd seen that look before. In nature, the way a predator locks it's gaze with it's victim, watches it as it prepares to pounce. The way I looked at deer before I shot them. The way President Snow looked at me.

He grabbed the bow I'd tossed in his direction and snapped it between his large, strong fingers and away my hope began to fall.

I couldn't out-muscle him and I had all I had was my dagger. Out of the corner of my eye there was a quick movement.

Brutus must've seen it too, for as Seeder jumped out from behind the tree with her spear in her hands, ready to kill, Brutus stepped out of the way, put both of his hands around her neck, and twisted.

It all happened so fast, I didn't have time to react. Seeder's lifeless body crashed down to the ground, the expression of shock and pain forever etched on her face. A cannon went off.

"No!" I screamed, but it was much too late. Brutus gave me a twisted smile as he then threw two daggers at me.

One dagger caught the sleeve of the jumpsuit on my right arm and the other caught the cloth on the ankle of my left leg. They pinned me to the tree and both daggers had caught my skin, causing small streams of scarlet to erupt on my clothes.

Brutus stepped back and grabbed a fistful of hair on top of Haymitch's head and held tightly.

Haymitch grunted, as if he were in pain and he looked out of it. A sickening twist of my gut came with the thought that maybe he was hit too hard. He didn't struggle, he didn't fight, I wanted to scream.

I struggled to get my arm and leg free to little avail. The cloth of my jumpsuit was strong and the knives were wedged deep into the tree.

"I'd kill him right now, if Enobaria wasn't so adamant on doing it herself." Brutus hissed. To my horror he actually looked as if he regretted being unable to kill him. Brutus shot me another twisted grin.

"Of course, she would much prefer to get you instead. If you want to have any shot at saving him, be at the Cornucopia at nightfall." And with that, he walked away, still holding tightly to Haymitch's hair.

Haymitch whimpered and stumbled along behind him clumsily. I could've sworn he was muttering obscenities under his breath.

"Haymitch!" I screamed. He had to fight! He could fight, I knew it. But for some reason he didn't. For some reason he followed Brutus like a little lost puppy.

The only thing the man fought for was to stay upright when he walked behind him and they faded out of sight.

I yanked my arm and my leg, struggling harder than I ever had before. I had to get out. I had to save him. But I couldn't.

I broke into loud, angry, wet tears.

I finally leant back against the tree I was pinned to, giving up. It just wouldn't come loose.

I was trapped, Haymitch had been kidnapped, and Seeder was dead, there was no hope. And in that moment, a dark figure stepped out from behind the nearby trees.

 **Author's Note: Dun, dun, dun! I know it got a bit angsty there, but you can't have the Games without some angst! Remember to review, let me know what you think! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Hey Guys! I know it's been a little while since I've posted... Work has kept me busy lately, but I've been writing in my free time. I promise, I haven't forgotten you guys. ;) So I've finally got another chapter ready for you! :) Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games series or characters no matter how much I may wish that I did.**

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 11**

At first, I couldn't tell who the dark figure was, but I braced myself for the worst.

My hand that wasn't stuck to the tree reached for the dagger in my belt. I didn't dare pull it out yet, but I kept myself prepared in case I needed to.

The figure walked around the clearing, keeping in the shadows, appraising me. The person eventually seemed to come to some sort of decision, for they stepped out into the light and my fist tightened.

"Finnick." I said to the man curtly.

"Katniss." Finnick said with a nod, smiling a mischievous, boyish smile.

He was tossing a piece of fruit back and forth between his hands before taking a bite. His tongue darted out to catch the juice droplets that lingered around his lips as he walked towards me steadily.

The only weapon he appeared to have on him was his trident and length of rope. But is was more than enough to take me out, especially being stuck to the tree. I clutched the handle of my dagger even tighter. If I could just get a good shot…

Finnick kept coming closer, obviously believing himself safe.

He stepped around Seeder's body. Finnick's eyes flickered over to her for a split second. It almost seemed as if there was a flash of emotion in his eyes, but if there was, it was quickly concealed.

When he was less than a foot away, I took the dagger out from under belt and stabbed at him. He dove quickly out of the way.

"Woah, woah, calm down there!" Finnick said, raising his arms as a signal of surrender. But he didn't seem scared, not in the slightest.

He squatted down and slowly reach out and got ahold of the dagger that was keeping my leg stuck.

He grunted and tugged on it, finally, it came free. He dropped the dagger and moved on to the one at my wrist.

I stared at him with bewilderment. He wasn't trying to kill me? Or maybe he just wanted a more even fight…

But something told me that wasn't the case as he stepped back away from me.

I rubbed my aching and slightly bleeding wrist, looking to Finnick for an explanation. But he didn't give one. He just walked right on past me. I turned around, feeling even more confused.

"I don't think that our friends from District 2 realized quite how important this is." Finnick said. He reached up and plucked the golden ball from the tree and tossed it to me.

"Otherwise they would've never left it here with us."

"Then why-" I started.

"They want a good show. Just like any of us." Finnick said with a grin.

"And let's face it, Katniss." A strange shiver ran down my spine as his foreign tongue spoke my familiar name.

"You put on a damn good show."

"Well, then, let's give them one." I said, composing myself.

Finnick grabbed my hand that was still holding the dagger and leant in close enough that a twig would struggle to slide between us.

"I can't let you go to the Cornucopia. It's too dangerous." He whispered with a small yet noticeable smirk.

"You can't stop me." I hissed back, shaking him off, and walking in the direction I presumed the Cornucopia to be in. Finnick chuckled and followed me. With a pang of annoyance, I realized he was enjoying this immensely.

"Alright. Obviously, I can't stop you. But can we make one little detour first?" I turned back and eyed him distrustfully.

"Please?" He whispered in my ear, caressing my jawline with the tip of his pinky. I batted his hand away and glared at him. Finnick gave a light laugh and stalked off.

I held my dagger tightly and tentatively followed him. I figured at that point I had a better shot of making it if I followed him for a bit. I could abandon him later, before he had the chance to turn on me.

It was easier to last longer in the Games if you had someone else looking out for you. My mind drifted to Seeder and my throat tightened uncomfortably.

 _Don't cry, Katniss._

I told myself firmly. I just focused on walking steadily and taking in my surroundings. It was awfully quiet.

Finnick pushed his way through some thick branches into a clearing. The clearing was the same one that we had been in just earlier that morning.

The crude spile was sitting on the ground next to a small, old woman. Her long, gray hair blanketed her frail form.

At first I thought she was sleeping, she was so still and silent. But as I got closer I realized her eyes were peeled open, watching us carefully.

Finnick walked to her, bent over and effortlessly scooped Mags up into his arms. The small woman smiled and curled up closer to him.

For a moment I found myself staring. Watching him cradle the sweetest old woman who cradled a small knife in her wrinkled hands that he'd obviously left her to protect herself with.

I was thinking about what President Snow had done to us, to them. He sent us all in there to die. Mags didn't deserve that and maybe the rest of us didn't either.

We walked for a long time, occasionally stopping to check our direction in accordance to the fake sun. It was easy to forget it was fake when it looked so real.

Even though I no longer had a bow to use, we had no trouble getting lunch. Much to my annoyance Finnick was able to quickly catch a squirrel with his skilfull snares.

I tried to ignore the smug expression etched across his face.

We sat down for a bit. Even though Finnick wouldn't admit it, I knew he was getting tired, especially with carrying Mags.

Mags was curled up, sleeping fitfully in the thick grass, I worked on cooking the squirrel, and Finnick kept reaching out and snatching up vines, grass, and nimble twigs and knotting them together.

At first I thought he was just messing around, but out of the mess he was holding, something began to come together.

"Here." He finally said, stretching out the thing he was holding before me. It looked like a small bag, just the right size for the golden ball I was cradling in my palms.

"Go ahead, put it in." Finnick said with a small smirk. I shook my head, clutching the ball tighter.

"How do I know you're not going to take it?"

"Look, I'm on your side." I raised my eyebrow at him.

"I'm not going to take it!" And maybe it was the way he said it, but for some reason, I sighed and found myself putting the the golden ball into the sack.

I didn't know exactly what the ball was, but I knew it was important, important enough that I shouldn't be entrusting it to Finnick, even for a second.

Finnick shot me a winning smile. He tied the bag closed and tied it onto my belt with a length of the rope he had been carrying around with him.

It was heavy, but my belt was tough and didn't budge.

"You need to have both your hands free to take these Careers down." Finnick whispered and then he scooted away from me over towards Mags.

"It seems awfully quiet here. It's starting to make me nervous." I admitted, twisting a squirrel leg in between my fingers.

"You'd think something would pop out at us or something."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." Finnick said with a shake of his head. "It's not time yet." His words felt heavy, as if they carried some sort of hidden meaning.

I thought back to the flower bombs and the way they just stopped along a line. As if there were some sort of invisible barrier blocking them in. I thought back to the blood rain Seeder had told me about and the circular shape of the arena.

Suddenly the realization began to dawn on me.

"Wait, the arena, it's a… clock?" I said through a mouthful of squirrel. It seemed too odd an assumption to actually be true.

Finnick just gave me a wide smile.

There was an abrupt rustle of leaves. Finnick stood up, yanking his trident out of his belt. I stood, clutching my dagger. Both of us blocked a softly snoring Mags from view.

The leaves rustled again and a figure appeared. It was Johanna Mason who emerged from behind the trees.

"Well, there you are!" She said, a hint of frustration in her voice accompanied by a touch of a smile.

It immediately became clear to see the Finnick and Johanna considered themselves allies and they both seemed to, by some unspoken agreement, have decided to take me on as an ally as well.

They greeted each other like old friends, which made me feel even more uncomfortable.

I didn't trust Johanna at all. I hadn't wanted any allies in the first place and there I was, surrounded by them. Or at least, those who said they were.

Johanna glared at me hinting that she liked me even less than I like her.

Why was she trying to protect me if she disliked me so much? Or maybe they weren't trying to protect me… Maybe that was the plan all along.

We set off again before long and whenever they thought I wasn't looking or wasn't close enough to hear, I caught Johanna and Finnick talking in hushed voices.

I had to find a way to get away. Being around them, I found myself feeling progressively more helpless.

I knew that at any moment Johanna could turn around and kill me and I didn't even have my bow to protect myself anymore.

And the one thing that could really help me, the element surprise, was taken away from me with at least one pair of eyes on me at all times.

I knew I was outnumbered and in the midst of an old alliance that I couldn't possibly begin to understand. And only one person leaves the Games alive. It was clear the odds weren't in my favor at that moment.

I knew I didn't have a chance unless I found a way to get away.

We sat down again after a couple more miles. Mags rested again, Finnick was making knots with his rope and then unravelling them, and Johanna was wandering nearby, searching for food.

I knew then was my chance, probably the only chance I would get.

I stood up very quietly. I was grateful that I had learned how to move so silently over the years with Gale in the woods. I walked several feet away, amazed that no one had seemed to notice so far.

I twisted and turned around a few trees, ducking under their long, heavy branches.

"Where do you think you're going?" Johanna's voice rang through the air loud and clear. I cringed, mentally cursing.

"I have to pee." I said nonchalantly, it wasn't a complete lie. But Johanna could see through me, I knew it. She walked closer and closer, never taking her eyes off me.

"You're a terrible liar." She hissed, looking me up and down, appraising me. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I wished that I had my bow more than ever.

"You couldn't outrun us." She said. Her tone was simple, conversational. But it felt more like a threat than anything.

"I wouldn't dream of it." I said.

"Good." She spoke. Johanna gave me a derisive smile before turning and heading back towards the others.

Through the leaves and twigs blocking my view, I caught a glimpse of Finnick watching me. He turned away quickly once I met his gaze.

I ducked behind a tree to relieve myself and to gather my thoughts.

Maybe Haymitch would know what to do if I were to find a way to get him back. I knew that underneath it all, he was actually quite clever.

But then I thought back to when Brutus dragged him off. How incompetent and frail Haymitch had seemed then.

I shook my head, I couldn't afford to think about that. I just had to find a way to get him back while keeping both of us alive, we'd figure out the rest of it afterwards.

I weighed Johanna's words on my mind, was it worth trying to get away?

I peaked out from behind the tree to see them whispering amongst themselves again.

Something snapped in me and without a second thought, I ran. I darted around trees and down a steep hill.

I ducked behind large trees and boulders every now and again and peaked around to check if I was being followed.

To my surprise, It didn't appear that I was. I fashioned myself a makeshift spile when I got thirsty and I ate some of the golden fruit from Seeder's district when I got hungry, all the while making my way towards the center of the arena.

It wasn't quite sunset when I got to the center of the arena, but it was certainly close.

My stomach dropped when I saw Haymitch. There was a large stake in the ground right before the Cornucopia and pile of weapons and Haymitch was standing in front of it.

His hands were tied tightly behind his back with some thick rope and there was blood dripping down his hands.

 _Good._

I thought to myself.

 _At least he struggled._

But the thought didn't really comfort me much. The man looked a little dazed and he kept lifting his right foot and he scratched his right ankle against his left knee. What an odd movement, yet he kept doing it.

Brutus and Enobaria were nowhere to be seen. But I didn't let that lure me into a false sense of safety.

There was no way that they would've left Haymitch completely alone, not when they wanted to take me out so much, not when they knew I was coming to get him.

I crouched down behind a few bushes. I couldn't get to him without drawing attention to myself.

I could swim, but it wasn't exactly a graceful thing. It was noisy enough that anyone who was waiting for me would easily.

I knew I would feel much better with my bow and arrows. All I had then was my dagger, still, it was better than nothing.

I curved my fingers around the hilt of the dagger. The smooth shape settled naturally in my fingers. I had to be ready.

I started to scoot forward ever so slightly. It was then that Haymitch looked in my direction. His eyes widened ever so slightly as he saw me.

Haymitch's eyes kept flickering upwards, again and again. I looked, at first unable to see what the man was trying to show me. But then after a few minutes of searching, I saw it.

There was a small, round indent near the top of the Cornucopia that drew me in. It was perfectly round, golden in color, and suddenly made me remember the weight tugging on my belt.

I looked down at the golden ball with dawning realization as I remembered the etchings on the nut.

It was a key… A key! For what, I didn't know. All I knew was that I had to find some way to fit the ball in the slot.

Ducking behind bushes I ran quietly along the edge of the strip of land. Maybe if I started out swimming towards the opposite side of the Cornucopia I could have a shot.

It wasn't the best plan, I knew. But I didn't have time to carefully think it through.

I dove into the water, propelling myself forwards as fast as I was able to. I reached the center land strip that the Cornucopia sat upon. I drug myself up onto the land and began to race towards the front of the Cornucopia.

Water droplets cascaded from my jumpsuit, shimmering and iridescent in the fading light.

The slight hiss in the air gave me just enough warning. I dropped flat on the ground, narrowly avoiding the knife that had been thrown at me.

"So we meet again, Everdeen. So predictable." Brutus drawled. His shoes crunched heavily in the wet sand.

I rolled over and snatched up the knife that had been thrown. I turned to see Brutus shaking his head as if he were scolding a child.

I stood up and ran as fast as I could, but it wasn't fast enough.

Brutus lurched forward and slammed his body into mine and we crashed to the ground.

I struggled underneath him. I slammed my knee into his thigh. He let out an angry howl and his fist smashed into my cheek.

The world spun angrily before my eyes and my cheek burst into pain. I was frozen for a second of disorientation, but that was all Brutus needed.

He flipped me around so I was on my knees and he held me in a headlock. His other arm trapped both of mine and he knees weighed down heavily on my legs. No matter how much I tried to move, he was stronger than me.

Enobaria emerged from the other side of the Cornucopia, an excited, sickening smile lit up her face.

That was it. I knew in that moment that I couldn't make it out. I looked up into Brutus's eyes and I saw death.

I swallowed down the couple drops of saliva that had sat upon my dry and spongy tongue. There was sand in my mouth, such an odd thing to realize in that moment, I almost laughed.

Enobaria bared her sharpened teeth slowly making her way towards me. I could see that she had every intention to make my death as long, painful, and drawn out as she could.

"I'm sorry, Peeta." I whispered, thinking of his face.

Knowing he was watching at that moment tore me apart.

I closed my eyes and imagined he was holding me, cradling my body, kissing me sweetly. I heard his soft, loving voice. I saw his beautiful blue eyes.

I knew at that moment that I'd never really admitted it to myself before, how much I loved the boy with the bread.

Brutus chuckled and made some comment about Peeta and I, something that was meant to hurt me, but I didn't listen. I was lost in my own world.

But I was shocked back to life when I heard a gasp and a gurgle from behind. Brutus crashed down on top of me, lifeless.

 **Author's Note: Thank you guys for reading! :) Any reviews/comments are appreciated!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Hey Guys! It took me a bit of time but I've got the twelfth chapter up now. I hope you enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games series, in case you thought that I did. :p**

 **Hiraeth**

 **Chapter 12**

I climbed out from under the heavy corpse, Brutus's blood pooling onto me. A cannon went off.

I didn't even have time to thank my savior before Enobaria retaliated.

With a deep growl she sent an arrow whizzing past me causing a man to groan weakly behind me.

I threw the knife, that Brutus had dropped, at Enobaria. She dove out of the way, but not soon enough.

It caught the edge of her shoulder. Not enough to cause real serious damage if it were treated properly, but enough to hurt and send her off running.

I turned around to see Haymitch slumped over Brutus's body. At first I thought he was just tired, but then I saw the arrow protruding from his hand.

"Haymitch!" I squatted down next to him, fear escalating quickly.

"Hello, Sweetheart." He spoke, trying to sound casual, but the strain in his voice was obvious.

The arrow was coated in a sickly dark purple, nearly black liquid and the smell was rancid Haymitch groaned.

"It's okay, just hold on, Haymitch!" I said, quickly darting towards the pile of weapons to find something sharp. The first thing I saw was a small knife, so I grabbed it and ran back.

The arrow wasn't in very deep so I knew that I could pull it out. I would normally boil some herbs and cloth to disinfect and bandage the wound if I could, but I didn't have the tools or time.

I had a really bad feeling about the black coated arrow. I quickly pulled the arrow out (while avoiding the dark liquid) and Haymitch flinched.

His blood ran dark, which scared me.

I used the knife I'd found to cut off the sleeve of my jumpsuit. I dipped it in the water, squeezed it out, and wrapped it tightly around his wound. It would have to do until I could find something better.

"C'mon, let's get you out of here." I said, trying to keep my voice soothing.

I helped him stand up and I slung his arm around my shoulder. It didn't know what all they had done to him, but it was clear he was in awful shape.

Getting across the water was easier than I thought it was going to be. I quickly learned that our belts served as flotation devices and I was able to easily swim along while keeping Haymitch with me.

We climbed out of the water and walked for a mile or two before it seemed safe enough to set up camp.

I was tired and Haymitch wasn't in any better shape. His footsteps fell heavily against the earth, creating a ruckus that would be impossible not to hear.

I started a fire, all the while keeping my dagger on hand, and took off the cloth that was wrapped around Haymitch's wound.

I'd never seen anything like it before. There was a thick, stretchy layer of skin that had grown over where wound had been and the tip of his fingers were purple, as if he had dipped them in blueberry juice, but I knew better.

"How did you get out earlier?" I asked, cursing my shaking voice. I was both looking for a distraction and genuinely curious.

Haymitch chuckled with effort.

"Between you and me, I like to keep small weapons or flasks in my shoes, in case I really need them. Well, I've kept a small knife in my shoe during the games, once I was able to get it out, I was able to cut myself free."

"Thank you for saving me." I spoke, bowing my head and not meeting his eyes.

"No problem, Sweetheart."

But it certainly felt problematic.

I chewed up some healing herbs and pressed them to his wound, even though I knew it was no use.

Before long, soft, uneven snores hit my ears. It was then I realized how exhausted I was. My eyelids drooped heavily and my eyes stung.

A rustle of leaves hit my ear and I turned quickly around, keeping as alert as my overworked body would let me.

A lone figure stepped out from behind the shadows.

"Beetee," Momentary relief flooded through me when I saw the man. I wondered briefly where Wiress was as I thought she would be with him.

"He's hurt." I said, hoping that he'd understand that I was too tired, it was too late, I couldn't figure out how to save Haymitch on my own.

Beetee didn't miss a beat.

He rushed over crouched down next to us.

I described to Beetee the arrow and the dark stain that had covered it, reeking with a putrid stench, and Haymitch's wound.

He sat there, listening silently. When I finished speaking he scooted himself closer to Haymitch. Beetee pressed his wrist to Haymitch's forehead.

"Do you know what it was?" I asked. Beetee adjusted his glasses and looked over at me.

"I believe It was juice from the Noctis fruit." The word itself carried a dark presence, I shivered.

"But that alone wouldn't have done this, no, there was something else..." Beetee trailed off, apparently lost in thought. He ran his hands over Haymitch's arms, squeezing lightly as if searching for something.

"Tracker Jacker venom." A rough, small voice spoke. Haymitch's eyes cracked open slightly.

"They put Tracker Jacker venom in my food."

"How curious…" Beetee spoke softly.

"It's certainly a cruel and calculated way to murder someone. The Noctis fruit by itself is dangerous. It can cause disabilities, illness, pain… but paired with the Tracker Jacker venom, it's lethal. He'll have maybe a day or two at the most. There's not very many ways to reverse the damage of something like that. But there are a few."

Beetee closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"How do we save him?" I asked, sounding fearful yet resolute.

"Lux fruit. The fruit of the light." Haymitch spoke quietly.

"Lux fruit?" I asked.

"That's it!" Beetee exclaimed. He crouched down close to the earth and used his finger to trace markings into the earth.

"They would grow perfectly in a climate like this!"

Beetee described the fruit to me, small, white, and sweet. A fruit that was about the size of a grape and was a perfect antidote for Noctis fruit poisoning, one of the few. I hadn't seen any fruit like that in the arena.

"Well, we better start looking." I said, standing up.

"Wait a minute. You need to rest, as does Haymitch. It won't do anyone any good to go looking now. Besides, it would be too dark to see the Lux fruit at this hour."

His arguments seemed solid enough, so after a bit more prompting and him ensuring me that he wouldn't let me sleep more than a few hours, I curled up next to Haymitch and fell asleep.

I awoke naturally at the first break of dawn. Beetee had created his own spile and had some fruit for us to eat. I ate and drank gratefully.

We waited a bit longer and then got Haymitch up so he could eat and drink too.

After breakfast we got up and wandered for a few hours and we didn't find anything.

With every step we took, it only became clearer and clearer that Haymitch wasn't up to the journey. His head lolled slightly to the side and his footsteps were clumsy and uneven, increasingly more so as time went on.

"We need to rest." I finally said. We found a good tree to lean Haymitch against. Beetee wandered nearby to search for food and I paced back and forth, dragging my hand through my matted, twig-filled hair.

I kept looking around at the slightest disturbance in the air. I expected a parachute to float down from above at any moment.

I needed a medicine, a cure, anything… I needed sponsors, but I didn't know how to get them. In the last games, it was easier. All I had to do was act loving with Peeta…

That was it! I wasn't with Peeta in the arena, but that didn't mean I couldn't still tug on the heartstrings of those who adored District 12's star crossed lovers.

I grabbed a large branch, about half my height, and made my way towards the beach out in the open.

"Katniss?" Haymitch said, a hesitant questioning tone accompanied his word. It was clear he didn't want me wandering far off.

I stood in the middle of the beach, holding the stick in my hand. I stood there for a moment, to make sure the cameras could get a good shot, then I turned and began my work.

I drug my stick through the thick, damp sand. The sand cooperated nicely, moving as I wanted it to. When I finished, I stood back and admired my work.

There were two words dug deep into the sand and they were bigger than I was.

 _ **For Peeta**_

It read, and there was no question of whether or not all the viewers knew now that I was fighting for him. That I was determined. That I needed a parachute, bad. But none came.

I huffed, and trudged back towards Haymitch, who, to my disdain, was chuckling.

"What?"

"It was a nice try, Sweetheart."

Was it that obvious? I sat down on the ground next to my former mentor, both of our backs against the large tree trunk.

We sat there in silence for a few moments. If I tried to forget everything else that was going on, I found that the man's presence did comfort me a bit.

But when I looked down at his hand, all of that went away. "Haymitch, we've got to keep looking for the Lux fruit." I said, alarm flooding me.

A deep purple had webbed itself underneath the skin of his fingers and was beginning to creep up into the rest of his left hand. I stood up, reaching out to help Haymitch up as well.

"Katniss, it's no use." Haymitch spoke in a deceptively calm tone. He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around to face him.

"Every second you waste out here looking for a cure is another second lost and I don't have the energy to keep looking. The most important thing is getting you home, and you can't do that while trying to save me."

"I can't leave you, Haymitch." I said, voice shaking almost as bad as my trembling fingers.

"Yes, you can." He said firmly. He grabbed the golden ball that was in the sack Finnick had crafted, took a deep breath, and stared right in my eyes.

"You know what to do, Sweetheart." I nodded, numb, unfeeling. It was all a dream. Or so it felt.

Haymitch groaned deeply and took a ragged breath. He seemed so fragile, I was even scared to just reach out and touch him.

"Just…" Haymitch started, he seemed conflicted, as if he were debating whether or not to continue.

"Tell Effie that I've always kind of liked her crazy outfits. When you can."

I chuckled with a nod, a knot formed in my throat, and tears threatened to overflow.

I leant forward slowly, pressing my lips to his overly warm forehead. I slipped away silently, knowing, with every step that I took, that that would likely be the last time I ever saw Haymitch.

I wasn't far from the Cornucopia, so it wasn't a long journey. I stepped around a few more trees, ducked under their thick branches, and stepped over large rocks, twigs, and weeds.

I found myself out on the beach near the center of the arena. I looked up and there it was, the Cornucopia bathed in the golden light of the sunrise.

Everything was still, too still. I could sense danger, thick on the humid air.

 **Bam!**

A single cannon sounded, chilling my blood. I stood, fear racing through every nerve ending of my body.

"Haymitch?" I shouted, turning around to observe all of my surroundings.

"Beetee?" There was no answer, not that I had really expected there to be. I was too far away to be heard, even if they were still okay.

I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was dreadfully wrong. But I knew I couldn't stop, not then.

I crept forward and quickly immersed myself in the water. I reached the center strip of land and ran across it, eyes locked on the small slot near the top of the Cornucopia. I had to reach it.

"Katniss, look out!" a woman's voice screamed. Johanna. I turned sharply just in time to see Enobaria peaking out from around the edge of the Cornucopia. I threw my dagger, but I missed.

Suddenly Enobaria crashed to the ground, Johanna on top of her.

"Katniss, now!" Johanna screamed, struggling with everything she had to keep Enobaria from getting up and taking both of our lives.

I turned painfully away from them. It took every ounce of remaining strength to keep on going, making my way towards the Cornucopia.

Enobaria saw what I was doing, she growled, and jumped up. She tried to make her way towards me with a fierce determination and hunger in her eyes.

It was then Wiress jumped out of hiding, catching her off guard, and knocked her over.

Wiress muttered something urgently under her breath. She looked meaningfully into my eyes for a moment before the cannon went off and a sword found it's way through her heart.

"Katniss, go!" Johanna shouted in agitation.

I couldn't breathe.

Wiress's small form crumpled to the ground. Johanna leapt forward and knocked into Enobaria again to stall her.

I continued on, forcing myself to go faster. I reached the Cornucopia and pressed against it, trying to climb.

I was sure it was going to be quite difficult to climb, but my shoes and the cloth of my jumpsuit attached to the Cornucopia like velcro, like I was meant to climb it.

I scaled the Cornucopia, ducking quickly as an arrow came flying past me, obviously intending to take me out.

I reached the top and fumbled with the sack attached to my belt. I placed the ball at the entrance of the slot, and with a satisfying click, I pushed it in.

At first, nothing happened. But then there was a deep rumble in the earth beneath me.

The ground shook and I crashed down from on top of the Cornucopia and landed heavily on the sand.

Johanna and Enobaria froze. The fighting around me temporarily stopped as a large crack formed in the ground from where I lay down to the edge of the arena.

The ground began to crumble in towards the black abyss that was quickly growing and I grappled at anything to keep me up, but it was no use.

I just couldn't escape it.

I let out one hollow scream before I fell and everything went black.

 **Author's Note: Dun, dun, dun! Yeah, I left it there… I hope you guys enjoyed that one! I appreciate any reviews or comments. :)**


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